Though video games have been traditionally dominated by boys, girl gamers now make up close to half of all players.

According to the Entertainment Software Association's annual report, 45% of all gamers are female. Boys who are 17 years old or younger, traditionally thought to have a stronghold on the industry, only make up 17% of the video-gaming population. In contrast, adult women make up a greater share at 31%. Overall, adults account for 68% of gamers, with the average age of players being 30 years old.

Despite the rising number of women within gaming ranks, some still encounter misogyny. Kitty Germein, an 18-year-old female gamer, told Australia's news.com.au that "if you beat someone and they find out you're a girl, they say: 'Get back in the kitchen' or 'Make me a sandwich' … it's quite unhealthy and a bit disturbing that it's 2013 and there's still such gender inequality."

While it's rare for larger studios in America to feature female protagonists, some are noticing "more strong female characters from new games, and that's primarily coming from Japan," William Chappell, owner of video game store Shin Tokyo, told the outlet.